O’DONNELL: I went back, since I watched many of the episodes, and pulled the monologue where you make this change in the broadcast. You say, “We’ll be deciding what goes on our air and how it’s presented to you based on the simple truth that nothing is more important to democracy than a well-informed electorate.” You’ve said you are admittedly a ratings-whore anchor and you threw that out, and you’re now sticking to tougher stories. What’s the message?

DANIELS: Right. Or getting you the information you need.

O’DONNELL: But isn’t there a message, in some ways, that you and Aaron Sorkin [series creator, writer, director and producer of “The Newsroom”] are trying to deliver?

DANIELS: I think there are many; however, one of them, specific to that, is that I don’t think we’re informed anymore as a country. I think we have the attention span of a gnat. You know, with cell phones and Twitter. That’s all fun and great and it’s a great time to be alive; however, we don’t know as much as we need to know. Especially in a presidential election when there’s a lot more marketing of political candidates going on than actual stances on issues, it seems. I think the American electorate should work a little harder at getting informed. That includes hearing, truly listening, to what the other side is saying. Whether you’re left or right. I think that’s one of the things that Aaron is trying to do, is to say “start paying attention.”